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Great ocean road hinterland

NATURE & WILDLIFE IN VICTORIA

Fairy Penguin

Little penguins are the smallest penguin in the world at only 33 cm. Little penguins are also called ‘Little Blues’ because of the indigo-blue and slate-grey colour of their feathers. You can view  these incredible creatures at The Penguin Parade one one of our tours to Phillip Island.

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Koala

The koala is a tree-dwelling arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia that can be found in areas of eucalyptus forest. Phillip Island offers guaranteed koala sightings, whilst The Great Ocean Road has one of the richest wild koala habitat's in the whole of Australia, there is only a 75% chance of seeing them.

Sleeping Koala at the koala conservation centre
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wild wallaby spotting with expert local guide

Wallaby

There are many different varieties of Wallaby in Australia. On Phillip Island, the native wallaby is the Swamp Wallaby. It is a Herbivorous animal, weigh about 17 kilograms and has a gestation period of around 33 days. We know some unique places where you can spot wallabies in the wild.

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Kangaroo

Eastern Grey Kangaroo's roam freely large parts of Regional Victoria. Unlike Wallabies, they like to gather in large Mob's, often with 1 large male controlling the group.

If you are interested in seeing Kangaroo's up close in the wild, we recommend our Two Day Great Ocean Road Tour, where we take a unique guided tour with a local kangaroo expert on Private Property - Not to be missed!!

Kangaroos playing in the wild
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cape barron geese

Cape Barron Geese

There are over 3,000 geese on Phillip Island. These are bulky geese and their almost uniformly grey plumage, bearing rounded black spots, is unique.

We can take you to the very wetlands where they graze.

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Swamp Hen

These large water hens live in large extended family groups on the island. They have a distinctive heavy red bill and forehead shield and are often found grazing near ponds, that are dotted around Phillip Island.

swamp hen at churchill island
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australian fur seal pups

Seals

Phillip Island is home to one of the largest Seal colony's in Australia. Located at the far south-western tip of the island, over 25,000 seals call the island home. There is an option to get up close on a seal watching cruise. This must be booked in advance of your tour date (Additional Cost). You can add this onto our Phillip Island Tour. 

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Whales

During the winter months of May and October, there is opportunity to see humpback whales, southern right whales and orcas as they migrate from Antarctica to the warmer waters off Queensland for calving. 

If this is of particular interest, you customise a tour to include a visit to Warrnambool - a town at the end of The Great Ocean Road famous for its whale migratory activity.

whale migrating
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Birds on the beach

Short-tailed Shearwaters

Otherwise referred to as muttonbirds on Phillip island, they are the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters, and is one of the few Australian native birds in which the chicks are commercially harvested

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Pelicans

The Australian pelican can be seen roosting on sandbanks, rock platforms and reefs, or swimming in lagoons, bays and estuarine waters, dipping their oversized bills into the water to catch fish. 

pelican landing at phillip island
fairy blue wren

Bird Life

Phillip Island and mainland Bass Coast are a haven for bird watching, and some visit each year on great migratory journeys, such as the mutton birds on their journey from Alaska.

Sheep

Perhaps one of less interesting animals in Australia, but one of the most significant in relation to the country's growth. They used to say 'Australia rode on the sheep's back.' Learn more about their importance and watch a live demonstration of sheep shearing our Phillip Island One Day Tour.

Sheep Farm
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